The Woodhouse Guide to Camping Etiquette

Camping at Woodhouse is about fresh air, gum trees, screen-free adventures and good company. With 54 hectares of Adelaide Hills bushland to share, a little give and take goes a long way.

We're all in this together, so let's work together to make sure everyone has a great experience. Whether you're a seasoned camper or pitching your very first tent, here's how to be the kind of neighbour everyone hopes to camp next to.

Finding your spot

All camping at Woodhouse is unallocated and unpowered. Just choose your spot when you arrive. With 54 hectares to play with, there are plenty of great spots to go round.

• Only take the space you need. Leave room for the families arriving after you. Please don't spread out or save space for friends who haven't arrived yet.
• Listen to our staff. Some camping zones are booked by groups, so we may point you towards the best area for your stay. We know the fields well and are happy to help you find a great spot.
• Obey the no camping signs. They're there for a good reason, whether that's safety, access for vehicles or protecting the bush.
• Give your neighbours some breathing room. Leave a comfortable gap between tents, ropes and pegs so everyone can move around safely.
• Walk around, not through. Someone else's campsite is their home for the weekend, so please don't cut through it. It's also the best way to avoid tripping over guy ropes in the dark.

Keep it down (the kookaburras will thank you)

The noise curfew on our camping fields runs from 10pm to 7am. Sound carries a long way in the bush, so please keep things quiet during those hours. This is out of respect for your fellow campers and for our neighbours.

• Music should never impact your neighbours. That goes for daytime too, not just after dark. If the next tent can hear your playlist, it's too loud.
• Generators count. You're welcome to bring one, since all our sites are unpowered. Please keep the noise to a minimum and switch it off by 10pm.
• Early birds, go easy. Packing up or firing up the stove at sunrise? Keep it gentle until 7am.

Sharing the basecamps

Our basecamps have toilets, hot showers, undercover dining, sinks and BBQs. They're for everyone, so please share them fairly.

• Keep showers short during busy times so others get a turn.
• Don't set up camp in the dining areas. Use the tables, then clear them for the next family.
• Clean up after yourself. Wipe down benches, empty the sink and leave the bathrooms how you'd like to find them.
• No extension cords from the basecamps. All our camping is unpowered, so please don't run cords to your campsite. Power points are there for quick charges, not for running your camp.
• Wash up in the sinks, not the showers. Your fellow campers will appreciate it.

Fire, smoking and vaping

Woodhouse is a smoke-free and vape-free site. That includes the camping fields, basecamps and activity areas.

• Campfires are only allowed outside bushfire danger season. During the Fire Danger Season, which generally runs from mid-November or early December to the end of April, Woodhouse has a total fire ban.
• Use the shared fire pits or fire drums only. Never light a fire on the ground or anywhere else on the property.
• Never leave a fire unattended, and make sure it's fully out before you go to bed.
• Check before you light. Total Fire Ban days can fall outside the fire season, so check the CFS website or ask our staff.

Pets and wildlife

No pets. Seriously, no pets. We love our fur babies too, but Woodhouse is a pet-free site for the safety of our guests and our wildlife. Guide dogs and accredited assistance dogs are, of course, welcome.

We share Woodhouse with koalas, kookaburras and plenty of other locals. They're wild animals, so please:

• Look, but don't touch. No matter how cute and cuddly they might look, please don't pick up, pat or chase our wildlife.
• Don't feed the animals. Human food can make them very sick. Keep food sealed and stored away from curious visitors.
• Worried about an animal? If you're concerned about an animal's safety, give us a call on (08) 8339 3333 and we'll help.

On the road, on the ground, and with our team

Drive at walking pace. There are kids, campers and wildlife everywhere at Woodhouse, so take it slow. Standard road rules apply on site, and please only drive and park in designated areas.

Leave no trace. Take your rubbish with you or use the bins provided. Pick up any bottle caps, tent pegs and food scraps before you leave, so your spot is ready for the next campers.

Respect our staff. Our team works hard to keep Woodhouse safe, clean and fun for everyone. Please treat them with kindness and follow their directions. If something isn't right, let us know and we'll do our best to sort it out.

Leave it better than you found it

Woodhouse is proudly owned and operated by Scouts SA. One idea sits at the heart of everything we do:

“Try and leave this world a little better than you found it.”
Lord Robert Baden-Powell, founder of Scouting

That applies to your campsite, the basecamps and the bush around you. It also applies to the people you share them with. A friendly wave, a borrowed tent peg or a quiet night all make a difference.

We're all in this together, so let's work together to make every stay at Woodhouse a great one. Happy camping!